The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State is heading into turbulent waters as the build-up to the party’s ward and local government congresses exposes a sharp divide between legacy APC leaders and newly defected members.
At the centre of the unfolding drama is the former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who is said to have endorsed Engr. Theo Mukoro, a stung supporter from the old APC bloc as his preferred candidate for APC Chairman in Ughelli North—an endorsement that directly counters the consensus arrangement which recently produced Mr. Lucky Ofomukoro as chairman.
The consensus decision emerged from a stakeholders’ meeting held on Sunday at the Ughelli North Local Government Council Secretariat, a gathering largely attended by new APC members who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The meeting announced Ofomukoro as consensus chairman, projecting unity and reconciliation ahead of the congresses scheduled for February 18 (wards) and February 20 (local governments).
During the meeting, leaders agreed to rotate key party positions between Constituency I and Constituency II to promote balance. As part of the arrangement, the APC chairmanship was zoned to Constituency I, leading to the emergence of Ofomukoro as consensus chairman. Participants acknowledged that the process was not without tension, but claimed that about 90 percent of contentious issues were resolved, with a committee set up to handle the remaining concern.
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However, the absence of key legacy APC figures from that meeting has since cast a long shadow over its resolutions. Senator Omo-Agege, APC State Chairman, Omeni Sobotie, Stella Okotete, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Simeon Owhofa, Engr. Samuel Adjogbe, and other notable old APC leaders were conspicuously missing, fuelling claims that the process lacked broad-based legitimacy.
Party insiders further revealed that Senator Omo-Agege has also compiled a parallel list of ward and local government executives, said to be at variance with the consensus list agreed upon by leaders at the Sunday meeting. This development has heightened fears of parallel congresses and deepened mistrust within the party.
More revelations emerged regarding Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Chairman of the APC Leadership Council in Ughelli North. Sources said Emerhor openly faulted the emergence of Ofomukoro but was prevailed upon by party elders to accept the decision in the interest of peace. His unease reportedly informed his decision to excuse himself from the meeting, despite his pivotal role within the party hierarchy.
Political analysts warn that unless the APC leadership at the state and national levels urgently engages Senator Omo-Agege and other aggrieved stakeholders, the party risks parallel congresses, litigation, and a deepening factional crisis. In Ughelli North, Omo-Agege’s move has transformed what began as a local consensus arrangement into a high-stakes power struggle—one that could shape the future of the APC in Delta State.
As the congress dates draw closer, all eyes are on the APC state leadership to intervene decisively. Whether reconciliation will prevail or the party will slide into open confrontation remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that without urgent and inclusive mediation, the APC in Ughelli North may be heading for a showdown that could weaken its cohesion ahead of future electoral battles.
